A moment of high drama during the Asia Cup Super Over saw Sri Lanka`s Dasun Shanaka initially given out caught behind, then found short of his crease, yet ultimately declared not out for both dismissals.
The incident that sparked considerable debate occurred on the fourth ball of the Super Over between India and Sri Lanka in the recent Asia Cup match. The question on everyone`s mind was: why was Dasun Shanaka of Sri Lanka not declared out, despite seemingly being run out by Sanju Samson?
Confusion erupted on the field when Shanaka, after failing to connect with a yorker from Arshdeep Singh, momentarily stepped out of his crease. Arshdeep appealed for a caught behind, while simultaneously, Sanju Samson swiftly threw the ball at the stumps, hitting them with Shanaka out of his ground. The umpire, after a brief deliberation, initially signaled Shanaka out for caught behind. Shanaka promptly requested a review from the third umpire, Masudur Rahman. After extensive replays, it was confirmed that there was no contact between the bat and ball. Consequently, Shanaka was declared not out for the caught-behind appeal. Crucially, he was also declared not out for the run-out attempt. The perplexing situation arose because the umpire`s initial signal for the caught-behind dismissal came *after* Samson had already executed his direct hit for the run-out.
The MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) law is clear on such matters, stating that “the ball will be deemed to be dead from the instant of the incident causing the dismissal.” In this particular scenario, the “incident causing the dismissal” was the appeal for a caught behind. This meant that the ball was considered “dead” at the exact moment the appeal was made, which was before Samson`s run-out attempt could be legally completed. With replays conclusively showing no bat contact, Shanaka was immediately ruled not out for both potential dismissals, even though India`s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, appeared to seek clarification from the umpires regarding the decision.
“According to the rules, if you appeal for the catch, then Dasun could go up to the third umpire. It`s always the first decision that counts, not the second. So he went for the referral, and it was not out. That`s what happened. But overall, I think there are a few grey areas [in the rules at large] that they [officials] need to fine-tune a bit.”
Despite the reprieve, Shanaka`s time at the crease was short-lived. He was dismissed on the very next delivery, slicing the ball to deep third man. Sri Lanka lost both their wickets within five balls of the Super Over, managing to set India a minimal target of just three runs to secure their place in the final unbeaten. Suryakumar Yadav then wasted no time, powerfully hitting Wanindu Hasaranga`s first ball through the covers to seal a decisive victory for India.
